Formation of county's long-term planning group has begun

A group the Carroll County Board of Commissioners agreed to form in May could get off the ground before the end of 2016.

The board decided at the close of its FY17 budget session to form two committees to look at the future of the county: the Combined Education Committee and a long-term planning committee.

The Combined Education Committee began meeting in June and held its final meeting earlier this month. The long-term planning group has not scheduled a first meeting.

Commissioner Doug Howard, R-District 5, said the group is on its way to formation.

"We've identified the citizen participants," Howard said.

He did not supply the names of those members, but said the committee's eight citizen members include one nominated by each commissioner from his district, a member of the Carroll County Economic Development Corporation, a Planning Commission member and a Realtor.

But the other committee members, those who will come from offices including the Board of Education, the Sheriff's Office and the emergency services association, have not yet been determined, he said.

"I think that the goal is to have the orientation at some time in December and start meeting sometime after the first of the year," Howard said.

As the committee takes shape, he said, it will begin to make decisions on how it should operate and what its objectives will be. That will likely involve the use of some kind of facilitation, he said. The county paid $295 per hour to a facilitator used by the Combined Education Committee.

Howard said he plans to be involved with the group at the start but hopes others will eventually take leadership roles.

"I don't want people to think it's something I initiated because I have a particular outcome in mind," Howard said.

Howard said he expects the committee to continue its work long after the next Board of Commissioners' election.

"The genesis of this is we make a lot of different decisions in a lot of different areas where we're comparing apples to apples," Howard said. The committee, he said, will ensure the county is making those decisions in a way that is informed and has the county's future in mind.